


Closer To The Edge

by tinknevertalks



Series: The Oxford Years Reimagined [2]
Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Victorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 15:17:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21181601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinknevertalks/pseuds/tinknevertalks
Summary: Nikola has magic fingers and Helen's addicted.





	Closer To The Edge

**Author's Note:**

> Teslen Appreciation Week! Teeeeeesssssslen Appreeeeeciation Weeeeeeeeeeek! Ok, I'm a bad fan (TAW started yesterday) but have my offering for Historical Teslen Appreciation. It's also a follow up to _Endlessly Caving In_ (not that anyone asked for one :D).
> 
> It hasn't been beta'd, so any mistakes (glaring or otherwise) please let me know. Otherwise, read and enjoy (and leave a comment? Please?).

Helen's in his rooms again. She knows she shouldn't be here, shouldn't use hysteria as an excuse, but she's addicted to the euphoria he elicits with those devilishly talented fingers. Her skin itches for the next time, warmth crashing through her as she remembers how he looks at her. Like she's the most sublime woman in the world and he gets to touch her, please her, make her shatter into ten thousand pieces and watch as she re-emerges whole and blissful. 

Nikola's just as addicted, she surmises, allowing her the excuse in the first place.

She arrived as arranged, on time and in good health, smiling as he greeted her. “I'll give you a moment,” he murmured, hand almost touching her elbow, the ghost of the pressure adding to the kindling already building within her. 

“You can stay,” she breathed, watching as his eyes widened a fraction before he nodded. Neither moved for a moment, gazes locked, still as statues. Helen’s eyes dropped to his lips and even the well maintained moustache added to her desire. How would it feel against her skin? Swallowing, she ran her tongue against her teeth as she walked fully into his room, turning to face him as her hands found the buttons of her dress.

With just a touch of pride, she watched as his whole body stayed rooted in place, except for his jaw. That had lowered as her hands did, uncovering her underwear to his gaze. What she wouldn't give to feel his hands span her waist, stroke her sides, touch her in a way that was more than just perfunctory. It had been what they arranged, a few months ago when he offered his assistance, but that was then. Now she wanted more.

Maybe that was her reason for this, saying he could stay, giving him permission to watch her undress, hoping he'd take action and peel off the layers until all she had was her skin and her desire.

Her dress pooled at her feet. Nikola's eyes didn't stray from her face. With all her grace, she folded to untie her shoes, crimson silk to match her dress. Rising again, she saw through her lashes his discreet lip lick, the small swallow, and the slight shuffle of his feet as he rearranged his jacket. Pride and arousal shot through her as she rid herself of her underwear, eyes firmly locked with his. Hands on her corset, his eyes finally strayed, watching as she freed herself from the constraints society forced upon her.

Clad in just her slip she sat on the edge of his bed, her feet and legs bare, and smiled. She needed him near, close enough to touch, if she was to go through with her plan. Tapping the mattress, she waited. Would he join her?

“What are you doing, Helen?” he asked, perching gingerly next to her, right leg over his left, hiding from her.

“Sitting,” she replied, smiling all the while.

There was that smirk again, and a vision of her kissing it away filled her mind, almost making her miss his murmured, “After that display?”

“Display?” she asked, coy with coquettish eyelashes.

“Yes, Miss Magnus, display.”

She shrugged. “I have no idea what you mean, Mr Tesla.” Leaning forward, she added, “And it’s Doctor Magnus to you. I can show you my credentials.”

“You can certainly show me more than that,” he murmured under his breath, his eyes widening as he realised what exactly he’d said. “I mean--”

Her hand on his gave him pause. “I know what you meant.” Her fingers curled around his, brushing gently against his upper thigh. His breath caught, his grip tightening. Moving closer, she asked, “Nikola, tell me… What do you do when I leave? How do you…?” Her words trailed away at the fire in his eyes. “Let me help.”

He shook his head. “It isn’t -- That is --” He swallowed, and a fierce streak of protective tenderness flooded her chest. “It would be… impolite of me to ask that of you.” The fire softened, but Helen’s skin still scorched under his gaze. “I offered my assistance without expectation of quid pro quo. I can take care of myself.”

“What if I wanted to help?” she asked, looking down at their hands. “I am partly the cause of your… predicament…” 

He shook his head. “It’s far messier than when you…” His words petered out as his cheeks flushed, and curiosity got the better of her. He coughed. “And uhm…”

“And what?” she whispered, filling the silence that had descended.

Shaking his head, he tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. “I… It’s… You’re more important. It’s your health.”

“You’re really going to believe that tripe? Nikola I… Haven’t you noticed a cycle of when I need your ‘assistance’? I’m no more ill than you are... Let me help you help me.”

He looked at their hands again, his face moving as he battled his thoughts. “I’ll think about it…”

The warmth that had unfurled in her chest dropped instantly to her lower abdomen, her breasts feeling heavy under her chemise, wetness pooling between her legs. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen a penis before - having read various textbooks and worked on wards as she studied for her qualifications for her medical licence - but the thought of seeing Nikola unencumbered crowded her mind and all she wanted was for him to feel comfortable enough. “Thank you,” she breathed.

“Since when do you flutter your eyelashes like that?” he asked as she leant back on one hand, the other still in his grasp.

“Since when do you notice me flutter my eyelashes?” she shot back, smiling.

He licked his lips again, a quick dart of his tongue that teased Helen more than she’d admit, whilst his free hand moved to her knee. “Since when do you undress to your slip in my room?” His fingers slowly moved up and down her inner thigh. Without thought, she let her other knee fall open, giving him more access to her body.

“I could be naked.”

His fingers stopped moving, his palm hot against her flesh as his eyes widened. “Naked?” She nodded. “Here?” She nodded again, hoping he’d move his hand. “Could… Would touching other parts of you help?”

“I… I should think so,” she replied, glad his fingers were moving slowly up and down her leg again. “You could try over my slip, if you’d like.”

He nodded jerkily. Their joined hands came up, Helen having half forgotten she still held it (or he still held hers). Dragging her lip through her teeth, she pulled gently, placing his palm on her breast before dropping her hand to the bed. Whatever she had expected paled in comparison to what was actually happening. The weight of her breast merely rested in his palm, as if he were comparing it to something, when his thumb brushed against her nipple. A shuddering breath tore through her, her eyes fluttering closed. He did it again, purposefully, the friction of his thumb and the cotton of her slip reverberating through her as his other hand stroked her thigh. “Is your skin this soft all over?” he asked, dragging his index finger down her thigh to her knee.

“Yes,” she replied, her _s_ drawn out and sybyllant as his fingers moved higher towards her core, her legs opening further.

“Maybe I’ll explore that later,” he murmured, low in her ear as his fingertips brushed her outer lips. Whether he realised or not, he always began like this - teasing her by stroking around her labia, running his fingers through her curls, touching her everywhere except where she so obviously wanted him to touch - and every time Helen’s mind would unfurl and unwind, basking in the anticipation. Only this time… “Your hypothesis was correct.” His voice didn’t change, staying low and and whispered, as if sharing a secret. The tonality prickled her arousal further, adding to her sighs. “You’re wetter than usual. This makes this,” his finger slid into her warmth, “much more interesting.”

“I--” He started moving his hand, crooking his finger in just the way that made her voice catch, his whole body shifting closer, thumb still playing with her nipple. Swallowing, she tried again. “Interesting?”

A chuckle coloured his words. “How quickly can I bring you to orgasm? Can I do it more than once? How would your body react to more stimulation?” A second finger joined the first, his thumb brushing gently against her clitoris.

"You hypothesise more than one orgasm?" she asked between shallow gulps of air.

"Caught that," he murmured, a devious, knowing smirk gracing his features. A chance look at him, confident and assertive, sent a bolt of desire through Helen that had nothing to do with the fingers between her legs. She liked this relatively new demeanor (at least, when it came to Helen's 'health'). "When a man orgasms, he's no good for a period after that, but when you do, you leave here bouncing."

Her hands bunched up the blanket beneath her, her hips moving to meet his fingers' actions part way. The quality of Nikola's voice when he theorised stayed the same throughout, buttery and smooth and low. How near to her ear was he? A breath across the shell hurled another shot of lust through her, a moan escaping her lips.

"Quiet, Helen, or matron will find you here." The hand on her breast toyed with her nipple with maddening precision. Helen prayed he'd move the slip she wore, to feel his palm on her skin. "Or is that the plan? Let the old woman hear your moans of pleasure?"

"Niko, please," she begged.

"Please what, Helen? Use your words."

She'd growl at his laughter had it not been for her body screaming for more. She finally stuttered, "A kiss," as her fingers spasmed, her chest heaved, her toes on the verge of curling.

His fingers stilled inside her. "What?"

It took a moment but when she realised her request, Helen shook her head, cheeks aflame. "It's nothing, never mind."

"It isn't nothing," Nikola replied, concern washing through his features, the jovial tone from mere moments ago now lost. "You… You've never…"

Pushing at his arm, Helen moved up to the head of the bed, missing his closeness but needing space. Pulling her knees against her chest, she said quietly, "When we first began this arrangement, I felt desire but not… Not to this degree. I thought it would go with time and yet…" She swallowed her words, not wanting to admit to him that ninety percent of her waking hours were spent thinking of him and their time together and how she really wanted to give him pleasure. Nor did she want to admit that she'd entertained the idea of having sex with him in this very room, or in the library, or in her home, on her bed. "I understand your hesitance at--"

Her words could go no further as his lips crashed onto hers, his hands either side of her on the mattress. If his kiss was anything to go by he had no clue what he was doing. Helen's heart thrilled. With a small sigh, she touched her tongue to his lips, smiling when his confused, "Unf," reached her ears.

It all melted away when she touched his tongue with hers. Her feelings clicked into place. This was how it should be - gunpowder hot, exploding between them. His chest was solid against hers, his hands finding her hair as his knee landed on the bed between hers. Their teeth clashed, her hands pulled his tie, needing him closer against her.

As one, they reclined on his bed, his frame caging her. His hips ground against hers, his lips against her neck. Even with her eyes wide open, Helen couldn’t see anything past Nikola and his ruffled hair, her fingers sticky with his pommade. Their sighs and moans and gasps filled the room, sounding so loud in the quiet, guarding and exposing the pair at the same time. Had Helen been in control of her faculties, she’d be praying that matron was on the opposite end of Oxford. As it was, she could’ve been in the room and Helen wouldn’t care so long as Nikola kept kissing her neck like tha-- Oh! His teeth dragged along her skin, kisses soothing the path on his mouth's return journey.

Without ceremony, his hand resumed its actions between her legs, the heel of his palm moving against her clitoris as two fingers slid into her warmth. His tongue echoed his actions; Helen's mind floundered and sank into the new and almost familiar warmth. It rose like a wave, and like a wave it crashed through her, light and sound and Nikola fully filling her senses.

It took longer than usual to come back to herself. Her panting slowed and eased, the clawing need to feel his skin lessened, her heart rate slowed. In the moments following, Helen had the dawning realisation that sex with him would be spectacular. 

Except he was pulling away? "Niko?" He was on the opposite side of the room now, shucking off his jacket. "Nikola, what's wrong?" Flushing, he arched an eyebrow and flicked his eyes downward toward his jacket covered hands. Helen's eyes widened, a flush to match his butterflying across her face. "Oh!"

"Yes." Grimacing, he fidgeted in the doorway of his bathroom.

"Well, I did say I wanted to help," she said, shrugging. His frown lightened, something Helen was happy to see. "I'm going to... hold down your mattress for a minute," she said with a soft smile.

He nodded, relief evident in his features. Turning into the doorway, he said, "Please excuse me, Miss Magnus."

"Doctor!" she called after him, laughing. Head on his pillow, she replayed each kiss in her mind, smiling broadly by the time he rejoined her. In the quiet, he murmured apologies for his behaviour whilst she smiled and shook her head. "No apologies are necessary."

"Will you require another dose soon?"

Her smile faded to a coy expression, trying to appear aloof as she laid in Nikola's bed in just her slip. "Perhaps."

He licked his lips, eyes darting every which way. "Can I kiss you again?"

"Then, or now?" she asked back, voice soft in the still room.

"Now?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around him in delighted bliss as his weight settled against her. Maybe they had gone about things in an unconventional way, ignoring the usual rules of courtship, but they had never been conventional. A fact that pleased her greatly as he peppered her face with kisses. As their lips met, slowing as a contented sleep overtook them, one last devilish thought crossed Helen's mind.

_I wonder what else he can do with his tongue?_


End file.
